Play on, playgirls

Hef's mansion the backdrop for real-life -- and TV -- drama

October 11, 2008

The girls are back in town.

The stars of the E! series "The Girls Next Door" -- Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson and Bridget Marquardt -- had plenty to say leading up to the Season 5 premiere of their reality show, which aired last Sunday. Even Hugh Hefner, the main man himself, was in on the action, explaining to foxnews.com's "Pop Tarts" blog why he decided to do the show.

"I've had a lot of offers to do a reality show in the past," Hef said. "But I agreed to do this one because the concept was to focus on the girls. I want everyone to get to know my girls."

And know them we have. In fact, in recent interviews, the girls have been more than forthcoming about their not-so-typical relationships. Madison, for example, told Fox that the show is an accurate portrayal of reality: "I would say it is 99 percent real -- it's pretty darn real," she said.

So does that mean the rumors that the girls are moving on are part of that reality?

On Tuesday, Madison told a TMZ photographer that she and Hef were done in real life -- if not on Season 5 of their show.

"If Holly says it's over, I guess it's over," Hefner told The Associated Press on Wednesday. "She's still here in the house. Until a few days ago, we were still sharing the same bed."

He had acknowledged to the Post on Monday that this season could be about changes.

"We are still devoted to one another, and they are still devoted to me," he says. "The bond that has developed between the four of us is something that will never go away. "

Whatever the case, now seems as good a time as any to take a look at the Playboy Mansion, the place that makes "Girls" the show that it is.

The Playboy pad

Here's a by-the-numbers look at the Playboy Mansion West (above), Hugh Hefner's base of operations in California, according to E!